Stuart Kettlewell insists it's been a challenge for he and his Kilmarnock backroom staff to work out how Rangers will set-up when the teams meet for Sunday's Scottish Premiership encounter.
Danny Rohl was appointed as head coach on Monday, and only took charge of his first game last night, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat against Brann.
Killie are next up for the German, as he takes to the Ibrox dugout for the first time on Sunday afternoon.
Kettlewell revealed that Killie usually use the previous three matches to analyse an opponent.
However, obviously, they have not been able to follow this model with the change of head coach at Rangers, which has brought its own challenges.
“It’s been really interesting for us because we are meticulous in the work that we do, in and out of possession, and it’s been difficult this week," Kettlewell told the media on Friday morning. "It has with the announcement of a new manager.
“You’re almost sitting waiting to see who it is, to see what that will mean in terms of how Rangers will play, system, style, all those different types of things. So we’ve had to work a wee bit different this week.
“I’ve quite enjoyed the challenge because I think we often work off that three previous game cycle. So we would always analyse three previous games and we’re not really able to do that. So kind of what we’re looking at is player traits, looking at is strengths and weaknesses and then, off the back of the game last night, we will analyse that. But we’re having to take other things into consideration.
“You know, how much emphasis can you put on Danny Rohl being the Sheffield Wednesday manager because it’s a different club and a different country and things like that, but I think you’re looking for traits.
“You’re looking for aspects that he’ll look for from his team, so between myself, the staff and the analysts at the football club, we have been working hard on that. And as always, that’s not to try and be clever. It’s just to try and make sure the players have all the information that they possibly can get.
“And I think we know the modern game. I think every single one of our players would have sat there and watched the game last night. However, we also need to acknowledge that it’ll be a completely different game on Sunday as well.
“So yeah, there’s been a few challenges in there. But I think, ultimately, where I come back to is we need to be better at what we want to be than what we were for a chunk of the game against Hearts.”
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On last night's game, the 41-year-old added: "“I think it’s a difficult one, as I say, to analyse because you’ve had two days to go in and take a big European game away from home.
“Sometimes it’s a wee bit easier at home. You get a little bit more time, I suppose, if you’re not travelling, if you’re not doing press conferences, announcing a new manager. You wonder sometimes where they get the time to put the team together because it must have been a whirlwind sort of 48 hours.
“But as I say, European games are different, quite clearly, from domestic games. Home and away is different. I don’t know what I expected in terms of would there be a dramatic shape change, would there be massive personnel changes. I think the answer was no on both fronts.
“There was a couple of changes, as sometimes you expect. And also in terms of shape, it was more or less the same as it’s been.
“I think for us, that angle of looking at the players, the traits, I get this narrative at the minute that everybody’s jumping on the bandwagon, people will be talking about that result not being good enough last night.
"But, again, when you start to look at it closely, there are a lot of good players in that Rangers squad. There has been heavy investment to make sure that they bring in what they feel are top players and guys that can really flourish at the football club.
“So I suppose from my side of it, I get and acknowledge that it’s not been a start in performances that Rangers support or staff or players would be expecting. But I’m also the guy that really expects the best version of them on Sunday and I think if you go in imagining something different, you’re very, very naïve.
“And sometimes I think that’s where you can get a smack in the face.”
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